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Flashcards in Exam 1 Deck (18)
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1
Q

Sexual Communication:

A

The process which people send and receive messages to generate meaning about sex-related topics within contexts, cultures , media
Verbal and nonverbal
Mediated and face-to-face (interpersonal, small group)
Dynamic

2
Q

Speed Dating Studies

A

Half of all speed daters know if they’re going to say yes to their partner in the first 3 seconds!

By the time the bell rings to start speed dating, most people have already made up their minds.

Both sexes care a lot about looks, but other physical attributes are important because of what they communicate to us.

On some level, we’re asking ourselves if they look right, sound right, smell right, and act right.

3
Q

Natural/Sexual Selection

A

Darwin (1859) first to propose that not only survival of the fittest (natural selection), but also sexual selection caused evolutionary change

Intersexual Selection

Intrasexual Selection

4
Q

Intersexual Selection

A

Selection processing occurring ACROSS sexes
Females may be more selective & discriminating in mating choices
Choose mates that will give strongest offspring
Prefer mates with high parental investment

5
Q

Intrasexual Selection

A

Competition within the sexes
Male competing with other males to win the favor of females
Social hierarchies
Intelligence

6
Q

Facial Averageness

A

How closely the face’s size and shape match the average

7
Q

Blending faces

A

Building composites from many faces

Blended faces are rated as more
appealing than the average of
individual faces assessed

The more you blend, the more
appealing the face

8
Q

Rhodes study 1

A
Blended 
Asian faces
Caucasian faces
Asian & Caucasian
Participants rated A/C combo as most attractive
9
Q

Rhodes study 2

A

Used pictures of actual Eurasians

Same results

10
Q

Why do we like composites

Familiarity Hypothesis

A

Familiarity = comfort

The average of many faces = comfort

11
Q

Reproductive cues

A

Atypical features may signal

genetic problems

12
Q

Facial Averageness - Caveat

A

Adding specific, non-average characteristics
Perrett & Fife (1994)
Had men and women rank 60 women’s faces for attractiveness

Three faces
Composite of 60 women’s faces
Composite of the 15 most attractive women’s faces
Composite of all 60, plus mods to cheeks and facial width

Rater’s order of attractiveness is same as above

13
Q

Facial Symmetry:

A

How well both sides of the face match.

14
Q

Symmetry plays a role in attraction

A

Suggests health and developmental stability
Thornhill et al (2006)
Measured 400 men and women on facial symmetry:
Chin length
Jaws
Lip width
Eye width
Height
On average, those with more symmetrical faces had better health records
Fewer, shorter infections
Fewer antibiotic

15
Q

We appear pre-disposed to look for symmetry

A

Theory 1: Communicates a person’s reproductive potential
Theory 2: Communicates a person’s potential genetic contributions to offspring
Theory 3: Thwarts familiarity (high asymmetry is seen as abnormal, weird, or even dangerous)

16
Q

Sexual Dimorphism

A

how sex-related hormones shape a person’s body (we’ll focus a lot on how it shapes the face

17
Q

How your hormones shape your face

Testosterone affects

A
  • Prominent jaw line
  • Prominent
  • cheekbones
  • Thicker brow ridges
  • Larger noses
  • Smaller eyes
  • Thinner lips
  • Facial hair
  • Relatively long lower–half of face
18
Q

How your hormones shape your face

Estrogen causes:

A
Plumper lips
Smaller and pointier chin
Smaller nose
Rounder cheekbones
Higher eyebrows
Narrower lower-half of the face